rspec/rules/S2471/plsql/rule.adoc

Explicit variable initializations with null values are superfluous, since unassigned variables are implicitly initialized to null.

== Noncompliant Code Example

----
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON

DECLARE
  foo PLS_INTEGER := NULL; -- Noncompliant, the null assignation is superfluous
  bar VARCHAR2(100) := ''; -- Noncompliant, the null assignation is superfluous
  correctInitializedString VARCHAR2(100) := 'Hello world!';

BEGIN
  IF foo IS NULL THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NULL');
  ELSE
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NOT NULL');
  END IF;
END;
/
----

== Compliant Solution

----
SET SERVEROUTPUT ON

DECLARE
  foo PLS_INTEGER;
  bar VARCHAR2(100);
  correctInitializedString VARCHAR2(100) := 'Hello world!';

BEGIN
  IF foo IS NULL THEN
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NULL');
  ELSE
    DBMS_OUTPUT.PUT_LINE('foo is NOT NULL');
  END IF;
END;
/
----